New York firms Dattner Architects and WXY have completed a rectilinear garage wrapped in a metal fins and a sculptural salt shed made of reinforced concrete for the city's sanitation department (+ slideshow).

The project is located on a prominent site along the west side of Manhattan, on the northern edge of the Tribeca neighbourhood.
The complex consists of two structures: a large mixed-use building with offices and facilities for sanitation vehicles, and a storage shed for road salt. The two buildings sit across the street from one another.

Both were designed by Dattner Architects in collaboration with WXY Architecture + Urban Design. The architects set out to create utilitarian buildings that embodied "design excellence".
"The design team's approach to incorporating infrastructure at this prominent location is grounded in a commitment to civic architecture, design excellence and environmental responsibility," said the firms.
"The site is a key gateway to the Soho neighbourhood and overlooks Hudson River Park and the Hudson River," they added.

The main building ? the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage ? takes its name from the city districts that it serves (one, two and five).

Encompassing 425,000 square feet (39,500 square metres), the building accommodates over 150 sanitation vehicles, with spaces for parking, fuelling, washing and repairing.

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